-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A near all-black Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has been delivered to launch customer Air New Zealand , giving Boeing fans and aviation nerds a dramatic introduction to this latest model of the fuel-efficient plane .

The head-turning aircraft , sporting a special edition , mostly black livery , was handed over to the carrier in Everett , Washington , with around 1,000 Boeing employees and Air New Zealand executives attending .

`` It 's a big night for us all , seeing the plane come out of the hangar here , '' said Air New Zealand captain David Morgan . `` I 'm very excited to be able to get my hands on this aircraft and proudly fly it back to New Zealand . ''

Newer = bigger

The 787-9 is 20 feet longer than its predecessor , the 787-8 , and can hold 40 more passengers .

It also has a greater range of 8,000-8 ,500 nautical miles , compared to the 787-8 's range of 7,650-8 ,200 .

`` Obviously with their geography they 're the perfect airline to really exercise this airplane -- they 'll really be able to use the amazing performance that the 787-9 has , '' said Boeing 's Mark Jenks , vice president , 787 Airplane Development .

The manufacturer said it was on track to deliver 10 of the new planes to Air New Zealand by mid-year .

Twenty-six customers have ordered 409 787-9s to date , accounting for 40 % of all 787 orders .

Due to a lighter , composite body , the plane can operate on 20 % less fuel than other similar sized planes and offers design features such as larger , dimmable windows and in-cabin LED lighting .

Flight routes

Air New Zealand will begin operating its 787-9 in October 2014 , flying from Auckland to Perth , Australia . In November it 'll begin flights from Auckland to Tokyo and Shanghai .

The launch aircraft will offer 302 seats total , with the business premier cabin housing 18 lie-flat seats , a premium economy cabin with 21 seats and two economy cabins with 263 seats total .

The plane will also have 14 Skycouch rows -- a design unique to the Kiwi airline that turns a row of three economy seats into a three-seater `` couch . ''

The plane will arrive in Auckland this Friday , July 11 .

Frances Cha contributed to this story .

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Launch customer Air New Zealand took hold of the first 787-9 Dreamliner on July 8 , 2014

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Aircraft featured a dramatic , limited edition , nearly all-black livery

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Flights will begin in October 2014 from Auckland to Perth , and then Auckland to Tokyo and Shanghai a month later